The Sword Of Merlin (part 1)
by The Ethereal Author
Summary: Ethan finds himself in a fantasy world he knows all too well...


Beep, Beep, Beep! The sound of the alarm clock woke Ethan with a start, he had been sleeping very soundly, although dreaming of something that he couldn't remember...

Ethan jumped out of bed, ready to start his long day of school, walking across the hall he strolled into the bathroom, and looked into the mirror. Ethan was a boy of fifteen, yet was already taller than most freshman in his class, he had bright red hair that was short enough to not go over his ears, but leave enough so that he could brush it to the side, he had built up a decent-sized amount of muscle, from running track for almost four years , although he didn't have a six-pack. He was overall a strapping young lad. After cleansing away the grime accumulated while sleeping, he got dressed, putting on a white undershirt below a pink, plaid button-up. Next, he strolled out into the kitchen, hoping to grab a bite to eat before heading off to school. His parents had already left, leaving behind a note.

Have a great day-Mom and Dad

Ethan loved his parents, somehow in their busy schedule, they found a way to leave behind something that would start his day off right, and happy.

Walking out the door, Ethan glanced back at his house, just taking it all in,

"I think it's gonna be a great day," muttered Ethan .

He shut the door behind him and walked to his bus stop, hoping that prophecy would ride true.

After waiting what seemed like no more than a couple minutes, Ethan hopped on the bus, and took a seat near the back, so as to not be disturbed while he read his book, a hardcover copy of Inheritance. The book was his favorite thing in the world, and had been his latest obsession for the past week, he was almost to the end and was fairly satisfied so far.

The thing that interested Ethan was the main character, Eragon, had a blue sword deemed "brisingr", which meant fire. It was made of a mythical material called "Brightsteel". The sword was described as being virtually indestructible, and need never be sharpened. It had a deep blue sapphire set into the bottom of its hilt, immaculate in every way.

The ride on the bus was overall, uneventful, most people were to tired to speak, since it was early in the day for many. At last the bus screeched to a halt. Opening the door, the bus driver allowed the students to get off of the bus. When Ethan walked to the front, book in hand, he muttered a slight "Thank you" as to thank the driver for his services.

...

School was a dreary day, first English, then gym, math and after math, science, Ethan was a total science nerd. He knew just about a little about everything, and sometimes thought he was smarter than the teacher!

After science came history, then lunch. History class was a different story. Ethan loved history, not just because of the subject, he sat next Kylie, his current crush. She had sharp, defined cheekbones, and a lovely smile to boat, brown hair cascaded down her head and over her shoulders, the perfect definition of beautiful. And not only was she beautiful, Ethan could not think of one instance in which she had ever been rude or harsh to anyone.

Taking his seat, Ethan set his belongings on the floor, and risked a glance up at Kylie,

"Stunning" Ethan thought, today she had decided to wear an orange shirt with simple, skinny-cut jeans, and pulled it off like a model.

History was so boring, Ethan was sure that if it wasn't for the anticipation of lunch next hour, he could have fallen asleep.

After what seemed like days, the bell finally rang, and with it, a flood of students racing to lunch. Ethan went to his locker, dropped his things off, and joined his friends and their social clique. Ethan always thought he never fit in, while his friends were off doing something in god-knows-where, Ethan was more concerned about what happened in Alagaesia. It wasn't because Ethan didn't like his friends, he was just different, but in a society so hell-bent on things like gossip, was it so bad to stand out?

Ethan ate his lunch, while at the same time, he engaged in small chit-chat about who did this, and somebody did that, not caring much at all. Sometime later, Ethan felt as if he was queasy, an odd thing to happen, he hadn't felt sick before? Excusing himself, Ethan walked to the restroom, opened the door, and walked inside a stall.

And Ethan was amazed by what he saw

Sitting on the floor, laying on its side, was a sword, with its sheath laying next to it. It looked exactly how Ethan had imagined Eragon's was, but instead of blue, it was orange, with a big, finely-cut diamond set into the hilt. Afraid to touch the work of art, he looked at it, fascinated by its stunning appearance. Ethan questioned whether or not he should touch it, then decided to risk it. He grasped the hilt, and was surprised by how perfectly the sword fit into his hand. All of the sudden, a searing pain shot up his arm and through his mouth, Ethan tried to scream, he really did, but nothing came out. His vision starting to go blurry, Ethan glanced up at the lights, and blacked out.

Ethan awoke on his back, looking up at the sun. Head pounding, he slowly stood up. Looking around, he noticed that he was definitely not in the bathroom anymore. The river curved to the right, and on the tip of the bend, floated a ship, a ship unlike any Ethan had ever seen before...

Ethan ran farther up the shore, making sure to grab his newly-found sword along the way.

"Hey!" He shouted, waving his arms wildly in the air.

The ship continued, but there was some movement above deck, Ethan was sure of it.

"Hey!" This time Ethan got a response, a giant, bright blue form leaped off of the ship. Stunned, Ethan shuffled backwards, tripping on a rock.

I am Saphira, ruler of the skies, state your business.

I... Wait, Saphira?! Ethan couldn't believe it, it seemed as if the characters in his book were actually here with him!

I don't know, I grabbed onto this sword and I was sent here, I'm guessing, Eragon, Blodgarm and the other elves are on the boat?

Ethan showed the sword to Saphira, and she seemed stunned by what she saw.

Eragon, I think you need to see this.

Almost instantly, Eragon jumped gracefully onto the shore, not caring that the boat still carried on down the river. Walking towards Ethan, he glanced at the sword.

"It can't be..." Eragon whispered " May I see it?" Eragon gestured with his hand toward the sword.

Are my suspicions correct? Asked Saphira.

"Yes, I believe so" answered Eragon, feeling the sword, and taking a few practice swings "Sorry, I do not believe we were formally introduced. Hello, I am Eragon Bromsson, one of the last few dragon riders in all the land, who are you?"

"I... My name's Ethan, owner of the sword you saw,"

"Well, about that sword, where did you find it?"

Ethan recounted the events leading up to the discovery of the orange anomaly, all the while Eragon and Saphira asked numerous questions about earth and the United States.

"It seems like we have a weird occurrence, you see... What you have found looks like a riders' sword, the craftsmanship is amazing!" Eragon voiced the last few words rather loudly, it seemed to Ethan that Eragon was just as stunned as he was.

"From what you told me, I think maybe this sword was placed in that bathroom intentionally, by some other force. Apparently some higher powers have chosen you."

"Why me?" Asked Ethan.

"How would mere mortals like ourselves even begin to understand the thought process of a god?" Eragon replied " Would you like to come aboard?"

"That would be nice, thank you" Ethan was still in awe at the fact that he really was in Alagaesia!

Eragon gestured towards Saphira's saddle, and jumped on. He helped Ethan on as well, allowing him to grasp onto the sides of the saddle.

Saphira took a huge leaping start, and began to flap her glorious, bat-like wings, creating gusts of wind that ruffled the vegetation below.

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" Shouted Eragon over the blowing wind.

"It sure is," Ethan shouted back.

Saphira circled around the ship, and eventually landed with a thud! Ethan jumped off first, soon after Eragon followed.

And here we are, our home for however long we decide.

" You are a magnificent specimen Saphira, although I haven't seen that many dragons in my day!" Ethan laughed, still in sheer awe of the situation he was presented with.

"Very amusing Ethan, come, I wish to speak with a very old, and wise being..." Eragon started towards the staircase that lead below deck.

"I'm guessing you're going to take me to see one of the many eldunari?"

Eragon stopped mid-stride, and looked back at Ethan, seemingly shocked.

"How do you know about the Eldunari?!" Eragon shouted, advancing on Ethan.

At that point, Ethan felt a very weird sensation, one he had never felt. It felt as if water was invading his head, Ethan guessed it was Eragon inspecting Ethan's memories. Recalling passages from the inheritance books, Ethan started to sing a song, one that he knew would be stuck in his head as soon as he thought of it. But even that wasn't enough, Eragon broke through his hastily-made barrier as if it were nothing. Ethan could do nothing to stop the mental onslaught, and was brought to his knees. Eragon invaded every memory Ethan had, every thought and emotion, searching for what he wanted. Until, at last, he found it, every memory Ethan had of the books, every late night, every school day, just reading.

"Well, it seems as if I have found it," Eragon steadily receded from Ethan's consciousness, allowing him to finally move once more. Sorry for the invasion of privacy, but the Eldunari are a very well-kept secret, But how are we just a story in your world Why do I exist in this place?"

Stumped by the question, Ethan recalled the many scientific readings he had done on parallel universes.

"Perhaps you are real, but the author is fake," Ethan stated

"Explain yourself, you seem to be a curious person Ethan, I am starting to like you"

Thinking of his words very carefully Ethan finally thought of a way to put it into something Eragon could understand.

"Well, maybe this world, Alagaesia, is on a parallel plane, and overlaps with my universe. If that overlapping place happens to be where Christopher Paolini first got the inspiration for the books, than, theoretically, he could have received many visions and ideas for the series,"

"You know quite a lot my friend, come we shall ask the dragons about your theory," Replied Eragon.

Eragon led Ethan down to the boules of the ship, taking a narrow hallway that opened up into a fairly large room filled with Eldunari, some were separated from the others, and Ethan could feel dark thoughts coming from a pile to the left, while the ones on the right had much more pleasant ones.

In the middle of the room sat twenty-four spectacular eggs, each of varying size, shape and color, and each stood on a specialized stand, Ethan figured they were guarded very heavily by invisible wards. He gazed at them, looking at the swirly-style patterns on the surface of the shells. He did a quick sweep of half of the eggs, and realized that in the middle of the rows, sat a figure, with the head of a dragon, but the body of an urgal, instantly Ethan figured out who it was. Cuaroc, the guardian of the dragon eggs. Continuing with his fascination of the live-filled wonders, Ethan examined the rest, and settled on a deep purple egg, the thing seemed to draw him in, much like a magnet would attract an iron nail. Ethan took a few steps forward, and tripped on a loose nail, although he didn't fall completely to the ground, the boy managed to catch himself before he hit the hard-wood ship.

"Don't be falling over on me, wouldn't want you breaking a bone now, would we?" Eragon said

"I'm sorry, it's just that..."

"Just what boy?"

"That... Egg..." Ethan gestured towards the purple unborn dragon. "It seems to be, I don't know... pulling me in,"

"Curious, curious indeed, would you like me to grab it for you?"

"What?! Do you trust me? What if I drop it?"

"Relax, I know everything about you Ethan, your thoughts, hopes, dreams, and fascinations, you are possibly the most trustworthy person I know" Eragon winked as he said the last words, Ethan felt honored to have Eragon trust him.

Yes, indeed, Eragon, give him the egg. A strange, and powerful presence invaded the conversation.

"Woah, let me guess, is that Glaedr?"

No, look to your right, I am the yellow Eldunari on the bottom shelf, my name is Farengar the Deadly, I have long since awaited your arrival, earthling.

"Farengar? I haven't heard of you, although I vaguely remember you from Uruben, you helped me with the spell I cast to defeat Galbatorix."

Yes, I helped you, yes I did... Farengar seemed to be tired, as if he had just woken up.

" Woah, snap out of it dude," Ethan stated "You called me an earthling? Do you know of my world? And what about the egg, why is it pulling me in?"

Patience... First I shall tell you two a story, so pull up a chair and grab something to eat.

"Wait, first I must inform Bloodgarm and the other elves, they were up all night soothing the more... disturbed... Eldunari. In the meantime, Ethan, why don't you grab that egg, I shall inform Cuaroc that you are friend, not foe."

"Okay then... Whatever you say, Shadeslayer"

Ethan's use of the term seemed to amuse Eragon, and the Rider sauntered up the stairs with a bounce in his step.

Than...I...shall...rest...

The red-haired boy walked over to the purple egg, examined it one last time, and then picked it up. Cuaroc seemed to stir in his seat, but allowed the boy to handle the specimen freely.

Walking slowly back to the wall of Eldunari, egg in hand, Ethan grabbed a chair that was by the door, and sat, gazing into the deep purple surface.

"Where is the boy?" A voice from upstairs sounded, suprised.

"Below deck with the egg," Eragon replied.

"The purple one? The egg?!"

"Yes,"

"We're lucky he came when he did, the other elves and I believed it would not make the trip. Let us meet the boy."

Ethan heard hasty footsteps stampede down the stairs, and looked behind him. To see Bloodgarm, the blue wolf.

"Ah so here he is, the boy who knows everything about us. I would introduce myself, but alas, you already know who I am, don't you?" The elf smiled, revealing rows of very sharp teeth, all of which were pearly-white.

You are ready, yes?

Yes, we are ready great-one Bloodgarm replied

Well then, let us start...

It was long ago when I hatched, to a human nonetheless, his name was Merlin, I believe you may know of him, American.

"Why, he was just a legend, right?!" Ethan rebutted.

"But most legends are based on some form of truth," Eragon said.

For what he did, I hope he is a legend. Anyway, he was raised in the training academy in Ellesmera, as was I. An excellent magician he was, often playing devious little tricks on the other students and their dragons. We laughed and played often, he told me everything, I felt every emotion he did.

Ethan could feel deep sorrow emanating from the dragon, while Eragon and Bloodgarm sat beside him, listening to the dragon's tale.

One day, on an expedidition far to the south of the beor mountains, we came upon a shaman, who had believed he had mastered the powers of teleportation, and created a spell that required very little energy to cast. Merlin was intrigued by the man, so he studied with the shaman for three nights, all the while, I sat beside him. After the three days, Merlin believed he could successfully cast the spell and send us to Ellesmera. When Merlin cast the spell, it went terribly wrong, sending us to your world, earth. Merlin did many deeds in the olden times, even helped King Arthur rise to power, by placing spells on an old sword jammed in between two rocks.

All the while, I sat in a cave, just living out my days, often scaring the locals very horrifically. I had little care for my life, as far as I was concerned, I was the most powerful creature in the world!

During one of Merlin's many studying sessions, Merlin found a way back to Alagaesia, but Merlin regretted this, we often had visions of Galbatorix's rise to power. So, seeing the need for a new rider, Merlin placed an enchantment on his sword, allowing it to appear for a worthy rider, but as you know, Eragon came by and defeated the king before a new rider was needed.

So, there, that was my story, eventually Merlin died of extreme age, and the dragon that was terrorizing the country was mysteriously slain by Arthur and his knights.

Now please, let me sleep...

"So, Ethan, we know you are worthy rider material... Interesting..." Said Eragon. "Saphira should be back from her late-night hunting trip soon, I shall make sure to inform her about the events that took place tonight, in the meantime, why don't you get some rest. There is a spare room down the hall and too the right, across from Bloodgarm.

The elf waved, and walked past the doorway, then looked back at the boy.

"Why don't you take that egg with you when you sleep? If Merlin thought you were worthy rider material, you should try to fulfil his wishes." With that, the half-elf walked into his room, and gently shut the door.

Ethan sat for a while, listening to the creaking ship bob up and down on the river, feeling the constant rocking back and forth. He sat there for an hour, possibly more, thinking about what he had just heard. After all, if Eragon hadn't killed the king, it would have fallen into Ethan's hands to free Alagaesia.

All the while staring into the deep surface of the egg...

...

Ethan awoke in his living quarters, with the egg under his arm. He got up, and saw that, beside the bed, were fresh clothes. Sitting up, Ethan garbed his new garments, along with his newly-found sword, ready to start the new day...

While Ethan was pulling up his pants, he heard a dull craking sound, and looked behind him. There, on the bed, lie the egg, rocking slowly. Cracks appeared on the surface, some small, and some which stretched the entire circumference of the shell. The shell then began to split, slowly but surely, and was then opened to its full extent. Inside sat a small, white dragon, with defined, purple eyes.

Reech! The baby dragon hiccuped, and unfurled its newly discovered wings. The dragon glanced first at his right wing, then his left, then towards Ethan. The baby gave a small roar, which sounded oddly cute to Ethan, and then leaped into the air, heading onto Ethan's chest. Ethan, startled by the attack, tried to grab the dragon before it was too late, but failed and only managed to graze the dragon's tail. Almost immediately after the contact, Ethan felt a strange sensation on his palm, almost as if someone was pouring ice-cold water on his hand. He looked at it, the dragon still on his chest, the pattern looked like a straight-lined question mark, and started at the bottom of his hand, and inbetween the creases of his palm. Ethan took his attention off of his hand, and looked at the small baby dragon. The beast was sprawled out on his stomach, with its wings almost blanketing Ethan. He grabbed the beast, gently, and cradled it in his arms. Slowly, so as to not drop the dragon, he opened the door. And was greeted by the entire crew of the boat, all staring intently at Ethan.

"Well, Ethan, it seems as if you're my first student!" Said Eragon, smiling at the new rider.

...…...

Saphira was very excited about having a new dragon around, and often cared for him, which, was amusing to both Ethan and Eragon alike. Ethan ended up naming the dragon Faendal, after a character in his favorite game. Eragon would often teach Ethan the ancient language. Eragon was suprised by how much Ethan already knew, on account of him being an avid reader. Ethan already grasped the concept of energy storage, and put oodles of energy into his sword, almost passing out.

Eragon often learned too, by the third day of his training, Ethan had come up with a ward which would absorb a fallen foe's energy. Eragon tested it on a small rabbit and was suprised that it worked.

At night, Ethan would try to pry Faendal, still a small little dragon, from Saphira's clutches, and set him down on the bed, sleeping through the night. All the while, the ship coasted down the river, the crew searching for a good spot to set up a new base.

On the fourth day, Faendal took his first flight, Saphira was beside him the whole time, although he could feel the dragons fears.

On the fifth, Eragon introduced swordsmanship, and taught Ethan the basics of fighting, through it all, he could not even come close to Eragon's skill with a blade. Ethan also noticed a weird phenomenon, it seemed as if Ethan was stronger here than back home, Ethan passed it off due to Alagaesia's possible lower gravity. Whenever Ethan would stumble, or make a mistake, Eragon and Saphira would often give him pointers on what to do, some were helpful, others were not, but Faendal, rapidly growing, would laugh when he made a mistake, being friendly all the same.

The lessons continued normally for a month, yet still Ethan was not able to ride Faendal.

Saphira and Faendal played together often, and she gave the youthful dragon tips on flying, such as following wind currents, breaking headwinds, and where to find the best locations to hunt. The two dragons were not fairly far apart in age, for Ethan could feel strange feelings of love from his dragon.

You like her don't you? Asked Ethan.

Well, she is the only female dragon in the whole world... Faendal's mild-mannered voice was slightly sarcastic today. And didn't you fall in love once?

Well, it was in another universe, besides, I don't know if I would wanna go back there anyway... Where would I hide you?

All the silly humans would fear me! The dragon let out a mighty, bellowing roar which Ethan could hear below deck.

When do you think I will be able to ride you?

I grow stronger every day, little one, soon, very soon.

The next day, bright and early in the morning, Bloodgarm came rapping at the door which led into Ethan's room. Ethan sprang out of bed, stumbling as he tried to don his clothes.

"I'm coming Bloodgarm," shouted Ethan.

Ethan slipped on his sword, buckling it as he started towards the door. Opening the door, he was greeted by his co-teacher of the arcane, Bloodgarm. They walked in silence up the stairs, and onto the deck. At first, the sunlight hurt the poor boy's eyes, but they adjusted quickly.

Ethan was greeted by the whole crew, the elves, dragons, and Eragon.

"Ethan, the time has come for you to take the biggest step in becoming a true rider, taking your first flight." Eragon seemed proud of Ethan, over the past week, he had grown close to the student, on account of them knowing so much about each other.

"You have touched many hearts here, young one, believe it or not, you have taught all of us way more than we have taught you." Bloodgarm stated " We hope you can appreciate this gift," the elf pointed to Faendal, the white dragon had been equipped with a new, freshly-made saddle.

" Ethan, it is with great pleasure that I, Eragon, son of Brom, appoint you a full dragon rider in training,"

And I, Saphira Brightscales, send my blessing unto you, Faendal. You shall soon make a name for yourself, friend, may your enemies quiver with fear at your name.

As with you, ebrithil.

And here ends part one of the series, add any suggestions or changes, but please be nice :P


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